More turmoil in Miss America, current titleholder takes on Gretchen Carlson

Miss America Cara Mund sent a letter this morning to all state titleholders detailing the silencing she's experienced at the hands of Miss America Organization chairwoman Gretchen Carlson and claiming that she is the victim of workplace bullying.

"Our chair and CEO have systematically silenced me, reduced me, marginalized me, and essentially erased me in my role as Miss America in subtle and not-so-subtle ways on a daily basis. After a while, the patterns have clearly emerged, and the sheer accumulation of the disrespect, passive-aggressive behavior, belittlement, and outright exclusion has taken a serious toll," Mund wrote.

The letter was given to Al.com this morning by a former pageant participant.

Mund was given three talking points she was required to mention to the press including:

"I was told that it's my fault sponsors have dropped MAO, because I am supposedly 'bad at social media,'" Mund wrote.

Mund described how Miss America staff encouraged her to stay off camera during the Good Morning America segment on Miss America's ousting of the swimsuit competition.

Mund, a graduate of Brown University, also talked about having her social media posts removed and having others pretend to be her on social media.

"I understand that I am the representative of a brand and a company and employed to do a job," wrote Mund to former Miss America winners. "That does not mean that an employer can treat you however they feel like treating you that day. Employers are legally required to provide a workplace free from harassment and bullying. I have been constantly reminded of the provisions in my employment contract that prohibit me from speaking freely."

Heather Whitestone McCallum, former Miss Alabama 1994 and former Miss America 1995 is one of almost 5,000 signees calling for the resignation of Carlson and a change in leadership among the board of trustees. The Change.org petition calls for the new leadership to made up of former Miss America titleholders.

"If you want Miss America to be relevant, then the leadership needs to understand she is not a wind-up toy who they can power up to spit out the meaningless words that are put into her mouth, and then put back on the shelf until it's time to do it again. I do not want her to have to stand in the back, literally or metaphorically," Mund wrote.